Registered Updated by: Matthew Stiffler, December 2002
Biographical Note:
Luther M. Winsor, born in Hebron, Utah on January 21, 1884, spent his whole life working with water, irrigation, and flood
control. With his experience and expertise he was appointed to governmental positions, on both the state and national
level, and he also served as a specialist to private companies. The bulk of his work with irrigation and flood control
kept him in Utah, but he also studied and developed water programs in Chile, Iran, Canada, and much of the western United
States.
His early life in Hebron, Washington County, consisted of learning first-hand about irrigation, masonry, and railroad
surveying. In 1904 he registered at Utah Agricultural College (now Utah State University) in Logan. From the outset of
his education he focused on studying irrigation. For seven years he not only continued his studies in college, but he also
gained valuable field experience such as working under the State Engineer in Logan measuring water levels in canals and
studying water use in crop production with an appointment from the United States Division of Irrigation Investigations.
In 1911 he became the first person in Utah to receive a degree in Irrigation Engineering. In 1926 Winsor earned a Masters
degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Winsor held an extensive and varied array of positions, most of which were concerned with irrigation and flood control.
Shortly after he received his degree, Winsor became the first County Agent in the West and served posts in the Uintah
Basin and in Colorado, but returned to Utah in 1913 to serve as Irrigation Specialist, a position he held for more than
20 years. It was in this capacity that he assisted in analyzing floods and developed the barrier system of flood control,
in which debris is channeled away from flood waters.
Besides assisting in many flood control projects in Utah, in 1918 Winsor was called upon by the American Smelting and
Refining Company to investigate irrigation and, as a result, increase food production for the company’s copper mine camp
in northern Chile. He would also assist the company on future projects in Garfield, Utah and Black Lake, Quebec.
The project that Winsor himself deemed most important was his work in Iran under appointment from the President of the
United States in the early 1940s. In Iran he served as Director General at the Ministry of Agriculture. Winsor spent
almost five years in the Middle East working with irrigation problems.
L.M. Winsor’s varied career as an Irrigation Engineer is difficult to summarize. He extensively published the results from
the many projects he assisted on or developed. On January 18, 1968 Winsor passed away. His groundbreaking work set the
pace for flood control and irrigation in many areas of the West, especially Utah.
Scope and Content Note:
The L.M. Winsor collection consists of personal and job-related photographs and published and unpublished essays from his
work as Irrigation Engineer. Most of the essays are typed reports to government agencies. The first three boxes of the
collection house these reports with the reports on his work in Iran located in Box 15.
The photographs in this collection are mounted on sheets of paper with hand written captions accompanying most of them,
and are grouped into related topics as outlined in the register. The photographs themselves can be separated into two
types: personal and job-related. Box 4 Folders 1-6 contains the personal photographs, while the remainder of the collection
consists of job-related pictures.
There is also a separate L.M. Winsor photographic collection (P0343) which houses about 800 negatives and prints.
Inventory:
Box 1: L.M. Winsor typescript reports, correspondence, and photographs.
Folder 1 "Effect of Consolidation of Related Irrigation Enterprises on the
Utilization of Water Resources." L.M. Winsor. (M.S. thesis, Rural Economics,
University of California, Berkeley, 1926).
Folder 2 Same as above.
Folder 3 Original maps and tables for thesis listed above.
Folder 4 "What Shall Be Done with Remnants of the Public Domain?" L.M.
Winsor. Typescript report.
Folder 5 Bibliography of Literature Pertaining to Management and Utilization
of the Public Domain and "Vacant Public Lands" map, 1922.
Folder 6 "Control of Floods in Mountain Streams", L.M. Winsor. Typescript
report and holograph.
Folder 7 "The Barrier System of Flood Control", L.M. Winsor. Typescript
report and photographs.
Folder 8 "Report on the Status of Proposed Irrigation Expansion in Silver
Creek Valley, Arizona", by D.E. Heywood. "Report Covering Investigations
Relative to Proposed Irrigation Expansion in Silver Creek Valley, Arizona", by
L.M. Winsor. Typescript reports, maps and photographs. Correspondence with
William C. Smith, Bishop of Snowflake, Arizona.
Folder 9 Canal Management and the Use of Water in Irrigation Studies, East
Millard Canal", by L.M. Winsor. April 30, 1921, Millard County, Utah.
Folder 10 Report, specifications, correspondence, clippings and
photographs in reference to Winsor Dam, Enterprise Reservoir, Washington
County, Utah.
Folder 11 Specifications for dams in Escalante, Garfield County, Utah and
Salina, Sevier County, Utah. "Los Angeles County Flood Control District Report
on Check Dams". Typescript, holograph and photos.
Folder 11 "Specifications for Construction of Erosion Control Dam Across
Potatoe Wash Near Escalante - Garfield County". Typescript report. Sketches of
proposed structures for Salina Canyon, Amerfork Camp and Wells Siding.
Photographs of Ed Ise Farm. Abraham, Utah, 1925. "Los Angeles County Flood
Control District Report on Check Dams", by E.C. Eaton and Frank Cillelin,
May 22, 1931. Correspondence from J.P. Martin in reference to proposed dam
for Salina Canyon.
Folder 12 "Utah Lake Diking Problem Report of Investigation", by L.M.
Winsor, 1947. Typescript, clippings and photographs.
Folder 13 Same as above
Folder 14 Photographs of Los Angeles flood control works in Los Angeles
County, California.
Folder 15 Correspondence in reference to Five Mile Creek, Franklin County,
Idaho, 1951-1954. Holograph and transcript.
Folder 16 "Pleasant Creek Flood Control", by L.M. Winsor. Mt. Pleasant,
Utah, 1947. Transcript report with photographs and news clippings.
Box 2: Typescript reports, photographs and maps.
Folder 1 "Summary of Cooperative Irrigation Studies and Demonstrations in
Utah, July 1922 to December 1924", by L.M. Winsor.
Folder 2 "Report Covering Cooperative Irrigation Work in Utah". Subtitled -
"Extension Work in Irrigation and Drainage in the State of Utah, December 1,
1921 to November 30, 1922", by L.M. Winsor. Typescript, maps and photographs.
Folder 3 Same as above, without photographs.
Folder 4 "Annual Report of Extension Work in Irrigation and Drainage, 1923".
Subtitled - A Narrative Report Covering Cooperative Irrigation Activities in Utah,
1923", by L.M. Winsor.
Folder 5 "Photographic Summary to Accompany Annual Report of
Cooperative Irrigation Activities in the State of Utah During the Year 1923". L.M.
Winsor.
Folder 6 Same as above.
Folder 7 Map of Ashley Valley, Uintah County, Utah, showing ownership
plats, canals and laterals (1920-1921).
Folder 8 "Annual Report Covering Cooperative Irrigation Activities in the
State of Utah, 1924", by L.M. Winsor. Typescript report with photographs.
Folder 9 Same as above.
Folder 10 "The Garfield Smelter and Flood Control", L.M. Winsor. Kessler
County, Utah. Typescript report with photographs.
Folder 11 "Experience Suprunary", L.M. Winsor. Typescript and photographs.
Folder 12 Same as above. Set of photographs not complete.
Box 3: Contains three Publications. Master Storm Drainage Study of Salt
Lake County. Phase I - Jordan River Right of Way Determination and Storm
Drainage Facilitiec in the Mill Creek - Big Cottonwood Creek Areas, Salt Lake
County, Utah. February 1964. This publication contains folders 1-11, while
folders 13 and 14 contain Irrigation and Flood Control and The Garfield Smelter
and Flood Control.
Folder 1 Table of Contents. Chapter I -- Introduction Chapter II -- Physical Surroundings
Folder 2 Chapter III -- Basis of Jordan River Design
Folder 3 Chapter IV -- Basis of Storm Drainage Design
Folder 7 Chapter VII -- Financing Chapter VIII -- Summary and
Recommendations Appendix 1 Design Tabling Sheets
Folder 8 Appendix 2 Tabulations of Areas and "Calculation Values
Folder 9 Appendix 3 Time of Concentration Calculations Project: Millcreek
Folder 10 Appendix 3 Time of Concentration Calculations Project: Big Cottonwood
Folder 11 APpendix 4 Jordan River Design Computations
Folder 12 "Five Mile by Marsh". Photographs.
Folder 13 Irriaation and Flood Control, L.M. Winsor, December 1963.
Folder 14 The Garfield Smelter and Flood Control, L.M. Winsor, 1964.
Box 4: Personal photogra~phs from L.M. Winsor volume 1 and job-
related photos, Utah from volume 2, 1917-1941.
Folder 1 Vol. 1 - Winsor Castle, Logan, Utah. 1930-1938. Salt Lake City
home: construction of outdoor stone fireplace, 1938. First L.M. Winsor Logan
residence, Utah, 1921.
Folder 3 Vol. 1 - Yellowstone Park trip, Wyoming, 1929.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 1937.
Folder 4 Vol. 1 - Bryce Canyon, Utah, 1930 and 1937.
Zion Canyon, Utah, 1933.
Folder 5 Vol. 1 - Boulder Refuge, Nevada, 1940.
Cabeza Prula Refuge, Arizona, 1940.
Damron Valley, Utah, 1939.
Devil's Slide on Weber River, Utah, 1938.
Great Salt Lake, Utah, 1937.
Indian Battle Ground Camp above Preston, Idaho,1933.
Willard, Utah, 1917.
Kanab, Utah, 1917.
Auto wreck in Spanish Fork Canyon.
"Making camp along the Columbia Highway", Oregon, 1925.
Photographs of Spokane, Washington cityscape and three
photographs of the Winsor family dog, 1926.
Folder 6 Vol. 1 - Freight collision on the Great Northern
Railroad, Minot, North Dakota, 1935.
Lower and Upper Souris, North Dakota, 1935.
Round barn in South Dakota, 1935.
Deadwood, South Dakota, 1935.
Water spout and cyclone at Medicine Lake, Montana, 1935.
"Little Jim", Uintah Reservation, Utah, 1912.
"Crazy Indian~, Whiterocks, Utah, 1912.
Pipe Spring Fort, Utah, 1916.
Strawberry Valley fishing, Utah, 1923.
Castle Rock, Utah, 1933.
Skyline in Searchlight, Nevada, 1923.
Mt. Timpanogos, Utah, 1937.
Donner Lake on California-Nevada line, 1937.
Crib Dam on Yuba River, California, 1926.
Golddredge near Canyon City, Oregon, 1926.
Folder 7 Vol. 2 - Utah: Abraham, Levan, Magna, Milford, Provo, San Pete and Vernon.
Folder 8 Vol. 2 - Utah: Kanosh, Manti and Mona.
Folder 9 Vol. 2 - Utah: Beaver, Cedar City, Orderville, Nada, Fiddler's Canyon, and Alton.
Folder 10 Vol. 2 - Utah: Kanarrah, St. George and Fillmore.
Folder 11 Vol. 2 - Utah: Daniel and Spring City.
Folder 12 Vol. 2 - Utah: Nephi.
Folder 13 Vol. 2 - Utah: Payson and Salduro.
Box 5: Contains volumes 3-4, Photographs of various water control structures
and results of flood in locations within Utah.
Folder 1 Vol. 3 - Utah: Logan, Old Sardine Canyon and Brigham. (1921-1933)
Folder 3 Vol. 3 - Utah: Salt Lake City, Zion Camp. Also included in this folder
are a series of photographs used in Winsor's thesis.
Folder 4 Vol. 3 - Utah: Washakie (the construction of the Nephi-Zundal
house), Asarco, Junction, Denmark Wash, Meadow, Mt. Meadows (location of
Mt. Meadows Massacre), Lund, Benson Ward, Sevier, Toole, Utah County, Mt.
Timpanogos, Tintic, Huntington, Hinckley, Castle Gate, Wellsburg, Manderfield,
Minersville, Bingham Canyon, Wales, Oquirre Range and Holden. (1922-1939)
Folder 5-14 Vol. 4 in its entirety. Photographs illustrating project in Kessler
Canyon, Utah, 1927-1929.
Box 6: Volume 5. Captioned photographs of water control project in Willard,
Utah, 1923-1937.
Folder 1 Gravel control; Main street after flood; gravel and soil slides;
spillway; headworks of power dam in canyon.
Folder 2 Series of views of gravel barrier and others of canyon.
Folder 3 Main Street after flood of August 13, 1923; improvised spillway;
flood control barrier.
Folder 4 Diversion dam; beaver dam.
Folder 5 Effects of flood; method of utilizing flood flow in building its own
outerembankment around margin of gravel inner barrier basin; temporary
spillway and temporary barrier.
Folder 6 Detail of construction of the barrier; preparing foundation; beaver
dam; method of building first barrier along south margin of barrier basin;
construction of temporary spillway; system of placing stream under control by use
of an operator.
Folder 7 Construction used in extending basin; views of west barrier as it
was being raised by a team; construction of boundry dike with straw stacks,
barnyard manure, coarse straw.
Folder 8 North barrier after it had been raised by flood.
Folder 9 Gravel control barrier.
Folder 10 Barrier; gravel control; Henry Blood, Chairman of the State Road
Commission; intake to high-line canal.
Folder 11 Boulders brought out by Willard flood, humans as scale.
Folder 12 Gravel fan east of town; gravel cone and large fan north of Hot Springs.
Box 7: Contains Volume 6-7, captioned photos of water control projects and
related images from Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona
and West Virginia. (1923-1941)
Folder 16 Vol. 7 - Washington County, Enterprise (1916-1932).
Folder 17 Vol. 7 - Utah: Santa Clara Creek (1933-1935).
Zion Canyon (1933).
Sevier River (1941).
Kanab (1941).
Upper Virgin River (1941).
San Pete (1922).
Mt. Pleasant (1929).
Salina Canyon (1932-1934).
Box 9: Contains Volume 10, photos of flood control projects and related
images from New Mexico, 1925-1941.
Folder 1 Zuni Reservation (1934); Rama (1934); Rio Grande (1925); Gallup
(1934); Shiprock (1933).
Folder 2 Navajo Project (1934); other locations in New Mexico "near
Glenwood", "near Silver City", "near Alma", "near Farmington"; Navajo
Reservation (1934); Pueblo Chetro Ketl, Chaco Canyon, Kinnebito area and
Pueblo Boineta (1934).
Folder 3 Mexican Springs (1934).
Folder 4 Bitter Lakes (1941-1941).
Folder 5 Bitter Lakes (1936-1939).
Folder 6 Bitter Lakes (1936-1939).
Folder 7 Bitter Lakes (1936-1939), and NM miscellaneous.
Folder 8 Bosque (1939-1941).
Folder 9 Bosque (1939-1941).
Folder 10 Bosque (1939-1941).
Folder 11 Bosque (1939-1941).
Folder 12 Bosque Del Apache (1937-1939).
Folder 13 Bosque Del Apache (1937-1939).
Box 10: Volumes 11-13, captioned photos of water control projects in western
states, Volume 12 consisting predominately of photos from Utah and Volume 13
consisting of photos exclusively from California.
Folder 1 Vol. 11 - Colorado: Rawley Mines (1931); Trout Creek (1933);
Pueblo (1926).
Folder 2 Vol. 11 - Idaho: Camas (1938-1939); Boise River (1926); Bear Lake
(1927); Downey (1925).
Folder 3 Vol. 11 - Kansas: Mankato (1935); Sterling (1926); Lyons (1926).
Missouri: Bethany (1934).
Montana: Lake Mason (1940); Thibedeau (1939-1940), Red
Rocks Lake (1937-1938), and Milk River (1926).
Folder 4 Vol. 11 - Montana: Benton Lake (1936); Clark River (1926); Milk
River Valley (1926); Fort Peck (1935).
Folder 6 Vol. 12 - Utah: Willard (1923-1926); Haights Creek (1926); Pleasant
Creek (1924-1929).
Folder 7 Vol. 12 - Utah: Mt. Pleasant (1929); Kessler Canyon (1927-1930);
Steed Creek (1932); Magna (1933); Woodruff (1926-1930); Filmore (1924-1933).
Folder 8 Vol. 12 - Utah: Nephi (1922-1925); San Quin (1927); Spring City
(1922); Parowan (1925/1938); Payson (1927).
Folder 9 Vol. 12 - Utah: Salina Canyon (1933/1941); Perry (1929); Summit
Creek (1926/1930); Parowan (1925); Davis Creek (1932); Parrish Creek (1930);
Ford Creek (1923); Steed Creek (1930).
Folder 10 Vol. 12 - Utah: Farmington (1923); Turnbull (1940) and Zion Camp
(1933).
Nevada: Bunkerville (1935); Moapa Valley (1935).
California: Santa Anna River (1938).
New Mexico: Pueblo Chetro Ketl, Chaco Canyon, Kennebito
Area (1934).
Arizona: Safford (1934).
Ohio: Zanesville (1934).
Folder 11 Vol. 13 - California: San Joaquin Valley (1929/1938); Salton Sea
(1936); Imperial Valley (1926).
Folder 12 Vol. 13 - California: San Fernando Valley - Los Angeles (1937-
1941); Mojave Desert (1937-1938); Barstow (1938); Baker (1938); Dagget
(1925); Foot Hill Boulevard near Los Angeles (1926); aerial photo of Los Angeles
River (1938).
Folder 13 Vol. 13 - California: Los Angeles (1938); Santa Anna River Area
(1938); Devil's Canyon Creek (1938).
Folder 14 Vol. 13 - California: Modesto (1925-1926), construction of
ExcheQuer Dam and railroad bridge.
Folder 6 Vol. 16 - Oregon: Hart Mountain (1937-1940); Lake Albert (1937-
1938); Willamette Valley (1926); Mt. Hood Loop (1926); Roseburg (1926); John
Day River (1926).
Folder 7 Vol. 16 - Oregon: Prineville (1926); Canyon City (1926); Sisters
(1926); Bend (1937).
Folder 15 Vol. 16 - Wicconsin: La Crosse (1934).
Wyoming: Jackson (1939); Evanston (1938); Yellowstone
(1940/1926).
Box 13: Contains volume 17, captioned photos from Bear Bay, Utah. This
box contains 13 folders, all taken at Bear Bay, of the migratory bird refuge
development (1927-1941).
Box 14: Contains volume 18, captioned photos of flood control projects
primarily from Arizona, but also Utah, New Mexico and North Dakota (1924-
1941).
Folder 1 Vol. 18 - Arizona: Havasu (1941); Yuma (1937); Ranea (1941);
Safford (1934-1938); Tuba City (photo of Hopi village, 1933); Holbrook (1933);
Bisbee (1936); Shiprock (1936); Duncan (1936-1938); Topoc (1936); Phoeniz
(1926); Casa Grande (remnants of pueblos, 1939).
Folder 2 Vol. 18 - St. David, Arizona (1927-1941).
Folder 3 Vol. 18 - St. David, Arizona (1927-1941).
Folder 4 Vol. 18 - Ganada, Arizona (1927-1941).
Folder 5 Vol. 18 - Pomerene, Arizona (1927-1941).
Folder 6 Vol. 18 - San Pedro, Arizona (no dates, no captions).
Box 15: Contains volume 19, miscellaneous photographs from various states
as indicated below. Also included are reports on Iran and its water problems.
Folder 1-4 Vol. 19 - Ogden Bay, Utah (1937-1941).
Folder 5 Vol. 19 - Santa Clara Creek, Winsor Dam, Utah (1933-1941).
Folder 7 Vol. 19 - Canada: (1926); Imperial Valley (1941)
Oregon: Turnbull Slough Project (1940); Hart Mountain
Refuge (1939); Malheur Refuge (1938)
California: Los Angeles River (1937)
Nevada: Meadow Valley Wash (1937); Moapa Valley (1937);
Panaca (1937); Boulder Canyon Refuge (1939)
Utah: Potatoe Valley (1933); Soldier Canyon (1934)
Arizona: Safford (1934)
Wisconsin: LaCrosse (1934)
West Virginia: Spencer (1934)
Ohio: Zanesville (1934)
Oklahoma: Stillwater (1934)
Folder 8 Vol. 19 - Utah: Parowan (1925-1930); Mt. Pleasant (1929/1938);
Willard (1923-1926); Virgin River Valley (1934); Alton (1933); Enterprise
(1926/1933); Woodruff (1929); Davis Creek (1930-1932); Centerville; Ford Creek
(1930-1932); Fiddler's Canyon (1930-1931).
Folder 9 Vol. 19 - Escalante, UT (1916-1934).
Folder 10 Vol. 19 - Escalante, UT (1916-1934).
Folder 11 "Covering Investigations Relative to Wheeler Canyon Flood. August
27, 1956 to date - September 18, 1956." Typescript report.
Folder 12 "Iran (Persia) A Land of Opportunity" by L.M. Winsor. Holograph.
Folder 13 "Iran and Her Problems" by L.M. Winsor. Typescript report.
Correspondence to Mr. A.T. Michelson, Dept. of Irrigation, Utah State Agricultural
College.
"Summary of Irrigation Development Projects for Iran in order of
their importance as outlined by L.M. Winsor, for his Majesty Pahlevi. December
7, 1949."
"Iran's Most Urgent Problem" by L.M. Winsor.
"Iran (Persia) A Land of Opportunity" by L.M. Winsor, Director
General, Department of Irrigation, Ministry of Agriculture, 1941-1946.
"What Can America do to Help Iran? A Practical Analysis of the
Situation", L.M. Winsor.
"What Can America Do to Help Iran? A Practical Analysis of the
Situation" by L.M. Winsor. Typescript.
For more information: 435/797-2663; Manuscript Librarian.
Special Collections & Archives, Merrill Library, Utah State University Libraries, Utah State University 84322-3000
